Perimenopause can begin in the thirties yet remains widely misunderstood

Hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain and insomnia are all signs of hormonal changes and symptoms of menopause, when a woman no longer has menstrual cycles. They can also signal perimenopause, when the body is preparing for this next season of life.

Perimenopause is when the menstrual cycle has started to change, and it is persistent. The formal definition is periods fluctuate by at least seven days for at least 10 months."

Lauren Baker, DO, an obstetrics and gynecology physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and certified practitioner with the Menopause Society

A new survey by Ohio State Wexner Medical Center of 1,068 women in the United States shows 61% believe they will hit menopause in their 40s. When, in fact, some will start to experience symptoms as early as their 30s, and most women won't see menopause start until their early 50s.

Ohio State experts say it's important not to ignore symptoms just because of your age. Baker said that perimenopause is not a universal experience, which is why it's so important to bring any changes, concerns or symptoms to your doctor's attention to find the best treatment for your body.

The Ohio State survey showed half of the women (52%) believe diet and exercise can help treat menopause symptoms, and experts agree.

"Having a diet that's rich in calcium and vitamin D is really important for bone health," said Baker. "Fiber and protein are also helpful from a weight management perspective. And then making sure you're getting whole foods, lots of fruits and veggies also is really important."

The survey also revealed one in three women are concerned about the long-term health effects of menopause. Other concerns related to reproductive aging among those surveyed include physical symptoms (25%) and mental health (18%). Younger women were more likely to say mental health is their top concern related to menopause than older women (25% among 18-29-year-olds versus 10% among those ages 65+).

"Problems in the workplace, adverse effects on one's quality of life and adverse health events all have been associated with menopause, too," said Baker. "There are effective treatments and ways to feel better to not only survive but thrive."

Survey methodology:

This study was conducted by SSRS on its Opinion Panel Omnibus platform. The SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus is a national, twice-per-month, probability-based survey. Data collection was
conducted across two back-to-back Omni waves from February 7-10, 2025, and February 21-
24, 2025, among a combined total sample of 1,068 female respondents. The survey was
conducted via web (n=1,031) and telephone (n=37) and administered in English. The margin of
error for total female respondents is +/-3.4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The
data was weighted to represent the target population of U.S. female adults ages 18 or older.